No One Deserves This: Families Demand Answers After New Orleans Tragedy

As families of the victims come to terms with their losses, they are left searching for answers about the New Year's Eve tragedy that claimed 14 lives in New Orleans.

In the chaotic aftermath of the tragic New Year's Eve attack in New Orleans, families of the victims are grappling with their devastating losses and seeking understanding. Jack Bech was on a celebratory call with his brother, Martin Bech, a vibrant 28-year-old known as "Tiger," just hours before the latter was killed when a man drove a truck into a jubilant crowd on Bourbon Street. Recalling their last conversation, Jack reflected, "We just thought it was going to be another conversation."

The perpetrator, identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old army veteran, was fatally shot by police following the attack, which left 14 people dead. Jabbar had shared extremist videos prior to the incident, but officials believe he acted alone. The tragedy's toll includes multiple young locals, including Martin and Matthew Tenedorio, a 25-year-old audio-visual technician who was encouraged by his family to avoid the dangerous crowded streets.

Christina Bounds, a cousin of Tenedorio, shared her family's desperate pleas, saying, "They begged him not to go into New Orleans." After the chaos unfolded, Tenedorio was shot amid the gunfire exchange, leading to an agonizing wait for his family, who report receiving scant communication from local authorities regarding their loved one’s fate. "We couldn't get any information when my aunt showed up at the hospital... Was he carried out by the EMS? Did he die instantly?" Ms. Bounds expressed their family's bewilderment and pain over the lack of updates.

As they grapple with profound grief, the Tenedorio family has initiated a GoFundMe page to assist with funeral expenses, further complicated by outstanding medical bills from his mother's recent cancer treatment. Tenedorio's cousin, Zach Colgan, emphasized the need for more answers, stating, "Closure is getting answers... It'd be nice to know a little bit more."

Colgan voiced his hope for the focus to stay on the victims rather than shifting toward the circumstances surrounding law enforcement’s response. "I want every single one of them to be remembered... They didn't deserve this." In this time of mourning, families are urged to reflect on the victims' lives rather than the tragic circumstances of their untimely deaths.